Given that this year's MLS Cup did not turn out to be hosted at a neutral venue, one positive thing I expected was to see a big, loud, and partisan crowd supporting the Revs on their home field. I mean, the MLS Cup is really the only time MLS comes close to filling up a large stadium like Foxboro, but since the MLS Cup is usually played on neutral grounds, one usually expects that most of the fans are not partial to either team. This time, however, there was no excuse. 61,000 "fans" sitting on their asses, talking amongst each other, and looking like they are spectators at a golf tournament. Honestly I did not think much of it until I happened to catch a few innings of the World Series that same night, and while the pitcher chewed gum and scratched himself, you could hear the crowd chanting and stomping in unison. It was an impressive atmosphere, and it made me think how pitiful the crowd at Foxboro was. Professional soccer in the US has reached the point where it can fill stadiums, hopefully more so with a few soccer-specific venues. However, as good as a capacity crowd looks on TV, what good is it if they are all sitting and watching quietly, instead of making some noise? Americans are passionate people, I mean there is plenty of atmosphere at most other major sporting events, when will this happen for soccer?
My theories: Of the over 61,000 fans, how many of them were "die-hard" fans, and how many of them figured they'd take the kiddies to the game. When I went to a couple of WC games in '94, the problems were evident... the older fans simply had little/no knowledge of the game and their kids were... well, KIDS... I had to explain a few things to the guy sitting next to me who didn't seem to understand why people were cheering WHEN they were cheering... I also think that sports fans raised on football, baseball and basketball can find it hard to watch a soccer game. Those other three sports have more than one way to score (okay, basketball has only one way but take a shot outside the arc and get 3 points, get fouled and each basket counts as one point)... keep following me here... also, casual fans may not fully appreciate the skills shown on the field and the defensive tactics in a game that had few shots from the home team and a scoreless draw through 90 mins... also, most sports fans in this country are used to constant stoppages in play-- time-outs, ball goes "out of bounds", pitching changes, "flag on the play," TV time-outs, etc... time to go to the bathroom, buy hot dogs and nachos, etc... the scary thing from a spectator's point of view is that if you "gotta go" you may miss the only goal in the match... Sorry, but I think we're gonna have to wait for another couple of generations to find fans (not just former youth league players) who appreciated the game for what it is and get excited by it... BTW... seemed like the fans were pretty "into it" for the OT-- when the Revs only get off 3 shots in the first half, it's hard to get particularly excited...
Give it time. It will happen as the product improves on the field and MLS becomes more entrenched on the American sports landscape.
I don't think we need to wait that long. It just depends on the type of match being played and the type of crowd watching the game. If this were the Crew or the Fire playing in front of their home crowd, the buzz would've been there. The Metro and DCscum might play in front of lively crowds if the ESC and the Bravva Boras or flying eagles or whatever their called breathe life into the rest of the dead wood. Unfortunately, I've never seen a lively KC, SJ, Dallas, or Colorado crowd. In LA, you never know. My hope (bet) is that it will take 1/2 of a generation or about 10 years before the populace is educated sufficiently to passionately root at the games. Until then, the best thing is to buy tickets and sit behind the goal with the "real " fans.
Crowds in Colorado are getting better every game. the crowds in the last two playoff games were pretty into it, even in the game we lost to the galaxy the crowd got into it.
That was the quietest crowd I have ever seen @ any MLS match (as best I could judge watching it on TV). I don't think its fair to judge all MLS fans by that crowd @ Foxboro.
I also don't think it's fair to judge the NE crowd by the weird crowd shots the cameramen used. The Fort had to have been rocking, but the cameramen showed only the sections that were not doing anything. Why is that?
Everywhere I saw on the screen, people were sitting. Just sitting. Sure, I don't expect to see a Brazilian-style dancing in the stands but at least some hint of attention to the game. You ever watched EPL on Fox Sports? Even at the most civilized of venues, you can hear the "ooohs" and "aaahs" on good opportunities or nice plays reverberate and echo in the stadium. It's not quite as rowdy as drum-banging or loud singing, but it still sounds nice...it sounds exciting. My conclusion is that either 1) the acoustics are better, or 2) the English fans are actually interested in the game.
My theory is that everyone was nervous as ************. I was in the crowd taking photos. If the game had had a couple of goals (for either team), I think you would've seen everyone loosen up. Having stood in the Mystics section at RFK during MLS Cup 2000, I have to admit that it was hard to get chants going the last 20 minutes as the suspense, and nervousness were incredible - and we are a hardcore cheering group. I'm willing to cut the New Englanders some slack on this one.
I dunno, I thought the crowdat MLS Cup, while not organized, was very responsive and loud. You have to keep in mind 3 things: 1) The stadium simply does not hold in sound. Been there about 3 times already and even when we had a full section of singing fans for the USA game you couldn't really hear it over the TV. Only if you knew the chants could you make them out(a mix with #3). 2) The Fort/Rev Fans are not loud. Been there plenty of times since '96 and I can tell you that Foxboro has never "rocked". In fact unlike DC fans who get it going when they see opposing team fans, they just dont do ANYTHING. And several times including the last game of the season, Ive been approached by Rev fans saying how we were louder than the Rev fans, and thats with only about 80 people! 3) Alot of American tv feeds tone down the crowd sound. Theres been plenty of times Ive been to a game and said, "Man it was loud today" but when I got home nothing came through. I specially notice this on ABC games and usually during USA games when you know you have a bigger supporters crowd than any MLS team. ESPN is ok but still tends to only fade in and out. Ive noticed that on Fox Sports Espanol and Univision the crowd is much louder, not only because of crowd noise but because I tuned into the SAME match on the "english" network and the crowd was toned down. Having said all that I dont think the crowd last Sunday was anything AMAZING but I think they held their own. I could feel the excitement and thought that people really cares and where cheering for their team.
Maybe if there had been any opportunities in that sleepy game people would have "oohed" and "aaahed" enough for you.
How 'bout this theory: the game stunk. Some shots on goal in the first 90 minutes would've helped. The crowd definitely picked up in the overtime - wonder why that was? I agree it's strange that they didn't show much of the diehard fans. Had to be a choice, perhaps a directive? The conspiracy theorist in me says Garber's big push now is for the minivan crowd -- that's where the attendance gains supposedly came from this season. And we know they're easily intimidated. Guy with a wacky soccer ball on his head? Great! Crowds of loutish, possibly swarthy males with hairy arms and the potential to employ a middle finger or a cussword? Ixnay.
please fill stadiums... then complain... come on... you need to get more fans in a regular basis..... when those fans start to liking a LOT the game they will become louder... not before...
I think it just takes time. I grew up in the sport while many Americans didn't. I was at RFK and the American fans who turned up to see the US are fabulous. When I was in Miami and the US are playing in the gold cup there weren't many US fans- but the ones who are there are great (One of them was Metrotard I believe and his friend) among a small group of other loyal US supporters. I think this will grow - it has to. Unfortunately I've been on non-soccer lists and when I have mentioned MLS, nobody is that interested, but they say they would watch a game if say Germany were playing. That's America I can't figure it out!
From my expereince (Orioles, Redskins, Bullets, Capitals, UNC basketball, NC State Basketball, Braves, etc) that was a pretty normal sounding American crowd.
Keep in mind, ABC has not yet figured out how to capture the atmosphere of a pro soccer game. They rarely use field cameras, they rarely use field mics, they don't use mics in the stands. Or even point mics into the stands. I saw lots of sitting in the stands. I also saw plenty of people standing and cheering in the stands, but I didn't hear the audio to go with it.
First of all, the atmosphere at the game was great. Foxboro has always been criticized for its set up and how noise is lost throughout the stadium. It isnt so much the fans but the stadium itself. Second of all, rome wasnt built in a day. A die hard fan base takes awhile to build, and for now ANY audience is better than NO audience even if it predominantly soccer moms/families. Granted I want a rowdy, loud, perhaps even obnoxious from time to time crowd,but for now any crowd will do..
I watched the last 10 minutes of regulation and OT last night. I don't what else we (posters of BS) can ask for from a crowd at this point in time. As other posters have pointed out, the Big Razor just does not hold sound in and the game only became offensive minded during the period I reviewed. Fans don't even stand to entire Champions league matches. (shock!) OK some do, but you are not going to have 61K plus standing for an entire match these days.
I was in Foxboro, and I've been to plenty of Redskin games. Based on my experience, the Skins fans are much louder than those in attendance in Foxboro. I've been to a lot of Caps and Wizards games (the Bullets changed their name a few years back), and you may be more on target with those comparisons. The crowd in Foxboro had plenty of sporatic Rev-o-lu-tion chants popping up in pockets around the stadium. Toward the end of the game, the chant almost caught on in a large segment of the crowd, but there just wasn't enough momentum to really get it going. Too many people sat passively for whatever reason. Heck, I'm not even a Revs fan, but I was chanting for them (it's the least I could do for all the suffering New Englanders have endured the past seven years, which shows you I harbor no grudges for them having sent Rongen to DC). I blame the stadium and the likely fact that many in the crowd had little experience with organized cheering at soccer games. Over time the latter will change, but the stadium design won't.
I didn't mean to sound like I was criticizing the crowd at Foxboro. When I said I didn't hear anything I was blaming the soundman, not the crowd. I still think they should point some dish mics toward the stands. In a big stadium like Gillette, crowd noise does disappear. We have the same problem in the Cotton Bowl.
To me, song would be the greatest thing for MLS matches. 90 minutes of continuous song by 80% of the crowd. It's fun because you don't have to sing good or really be totally in tune - it fills the stadium up beautifully. But, that's just me...
You know, I think it's the same dynamic that was in effect when the Quakes sold out their final regular season game against the Galaxy. There were a ton of people there who had rarely--if ever--been to a match and simply didn't have the passion or knowledge to cheer. Honestly, I think the 10,000 committed fans that showed up for the Quakes playoff match were louder than the 28,000 that sold out Spartan the week before. I also believe AndyMead has a good point about nervousness in the crowd. This is especially true of the die-hard fans. I was at MLS Cup VI, and the Quakes supporters section was much quieter (though perhaps larger) than in earlier playoff games. We were definitely nervous, and that affected our cheering.
I agree with the original post. I too thought the crowd was LAMO and the US crowds still have a long way to go as far as understanding how to watch and root during a soccer match. Its safe to safe actual soccer play is more advanced in the US than the soccer fans watching. Remember the days when ugly popup defensive clearences were cheered upon as it was a pretty thing (Homerun mentality) and nutmegs went unoticed by fans?
Here's the quick fix way to get the passions going at MLS games -- allow betting. Nothing quite motivates a fan to get emotional and passionate than winning or losing a few greenbacks based on how the game they're watching turns out. Seriously, the crowd was not bad. People were up and you could hear the volume rise on every Revs corner kick as the game went on. The accoustics in the place are not great however. I was at midfield and I could not understand or really hear anything coming out of the Fort. And they all seemed to be into it. Of course, the stadium is also huge so if you've only got a single section making the noise, it's tougher to make an impact.
Did you watch the game? It was a complete snorefest until the extra time periods.The people there had very little to cheer about and it came across like that on the television .